Kempsville catcher is at home making calls

VIRGINIA BEACH

Dean Spruill has been coaching softball at Kempsville about as long as his catcher has been alive, but he has no problem putting games in Taylor Galvin's capable hands.

"If she thinks I know a batter better than she does, she'll look to me," said Spruill, in his 17th season leading the Chiefs. "But she calls her own game. That relieves me of a lot."

Galvin, a junior, displays a knack for handling pitchers, Spruill said, referring to an upset win over First Colonial on April 6 as an example.

First Colonial had just scored to cut its deficit to 3-2, and Spruill admits he was ready to go out for a stern talk with sophomore pitcher Erin Stinson.

"She came running over to keep me from barking," Spruill said of Galvin. "And I realized, 'You're right, everything's cool.' And we ended up winning that game 3-2.

"She's very good about protecting her players. She's a mother hen."

It's clear Galvin has put a lot of thought into how to handle pitchers.

"It's different for a lot of pitchers," Galvin said. "With our older pitchers, you have to be more serious. You've just got to learn which way is best for each pitcher."

One of those older pitchers is Emily Murphy, a junior who primarily plays shortstop.

On April 12, with runners on the corners late in the game, Kellam tried a double steal. Galvin threw to second in time to get the first runner. Then Murphy rifled a throw home o complete a double play.

"You don't see that very often in high school," Spruill said. "But they've both got cannon arms."

They're both good hitters as well. Murphy hit .478 with four RBIs in her first seven games this season, while Galvin hit .421 with five RBIs in her first six games.

But Spruill keeps returning to their defense. Murphy committed only one error in her first seven games.

"If you have a good defense, it helps the pitcher a lot," Murphy said. "They have confidence in the team, and they feel more relaxed in the game."

Having Galvin behind the plate also helps pitchers a lot. Opposing teams are so impressed with Galvin's arm that they attempted only four steals in her first six games. She threw half those runners out.

"I love going out there and hitting," Galvin said. "I love offense. But I take more pride in my catching."

Mike Connors, (757) 222-5434, michael.connors@pilotonline.com